Intermediate Vocabulary Test 2 – ESL Vocabulary Exercises

Unreliable means you cannot trust or depend on someone. The clue is Surely you're not counting on him, so he is not someone you can rely on. Not dependable, which means the opposite.

A cardiologist is a heart doctor, and the usual collocation is blood pressure, the force of the blood in your arteries. None of the other words combine with pressure in this medical sense.

An epidemic is a disease that spreads quickly and affects many people at the same time. We speak of epidemics of a disease such as the Black Death. Not diseases, because the Black Death itself was a disease, and diseases of the Black Death makes no sense.

Rush hour is the busy time of day when people travel to and from work, so the roads are full. The fixed expression is rush-hour traffic. Not hurry, which does not form this expression.

To be rushed to (the) hospital means to be taken there very quickly in an emergency. Acute appendicitis is a sudden, serious illness, so the patient needed to get there fast.

To interpret results means to explain what they mean. The speaker needs more information about the research techniques before he can say what the results show. Not prove, because you prove a theory, not results.

To involve something means to include it as a necessary part. Here the research projects include vivisection, which is experiments on live animals. The other verbs do not make sense with vivisection as their object.

I'm afraid is a polite way to introduce bad news, e.g. I'm afraid I can't come. The report is not good, so the speaker softens the criticism. Not frightened, which only means really scared.

Dirty tricks are dishonest or unfair actions meant to harm or cheat someone. This fits a greedy, dishonest person. The positive words such as charming do not match the warning.

A deed is an action, something you actually do. The sentence turns the saying It's the thought that counts around: what matters is the action, not the intention. The other words only sound similar.

Have something replaced means to pay someone to put in a new one. A dead battery is usually changed for a new one. The structure have + object + past participle is used for services.

Brave means not afraid of danger. The operation is dangerous, so the volunteers must be brave. Timid and panicky mean the opposite.

A strike is when workers stop working to protest, usually about pay or conditions. That is why the clinics are closed. Not punishment, which would not close clinics nationwide.

A principle is a basic idea or rule, as in the principle of justice. Don't confuse it with principal, which means 'main' or 'head of a school'; the two words sound the same but have different meanings.

To ignore someone means to pay no attention to them on purpose. I mean introduces a repetition of the first sentence in other words, and ignore has the same meaning as don't pay attention to.

On purpose means deliberately, knowing what you are doing. The clue is he knows very well what he is doing. Unknowingly and in ignorance mean the opposite.

A queue is a line of people waiting for something; this is the British word (American English: line). You wait in a queue to buy tickets. Not tail, which is the back part of an animal.

Brakes are the parts of a car that make it slow down or stop, and you apply the brakes. Don't confuse it with breaks, which means pauses or rests; the two words sound the same.

Demanding work needs a lot of effort, energy or skill. The clue is I get awfully tired. Not relaxing, which is the opposite, and rewarding means satisfying, not tiring.

To book a table means to reserve it before you go, e.g. I booked a table for two. The clue is in advance. Not notebook, which is a noun, not a verb.

Generous means happy to give time, help or money to others. It goes well with kind and explains why he is popular with his workmates. The other adjectives are negative.

When food goes off, it becomes bad and unsafe to eat (British English). Moulds and bacteria make food go off. Not turn down, which means to refuse or to lower the volume.

An adopted child is legally taken into a new family and raised as their own. The clue is that her real parents had been killed. Don't confuse it with adapted, which means changed to suit new conditions.

To diet means to eat less or eat special food, usually to lose weight. The clue is a desire to slim down. Not dine, which simply means to have dinner.

Be reasonable means 'be sensible and fair'; we say it when someone wants something impossible. The shops are closed, so the request cannot be met. Do before the verb makes the request stronger.

Evergreen trees keep their leaves all year round, like pines. Not everlasting or permanent, which mean lasting forever and are not used to describe trees.

Unwilling means not wanting to do something. Because she is terrified of caves, she does not want to come. Eager and dying to mean the opposite.

Facilities are buildings, services or equipment provided for people to use. The examples meeting halls, art museums, swimming pools, sports parks are all public facilities. Not shelters, which are places that protect people.

Courageous means brave. A brave person can stay calm and even smile when bad things happen (in the face of misfortune). A (an) allows for a consonant or vowel sound; here we say a courageous man.

To recall means to remember. Do you recall what she was wearing? asks if you can remember it. Not remind, which means to make someone else remember: Remind me to call her.